Karen Howard teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education, choral courses, and diverse musics at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota. She is research director for the Graduate Programs in Music Education, and facilitates the Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy.
She was previously an early childhood music and movement facilitator, elementary school music teacher, and choral director. She is a regular presenter working with music educators to diversify repertoire and pedagogical strategies. Karen is the editor of the new series “World Music Initiative” through GIA Publications. While all music is considered under the title of “world music”, this series focuses on marginalized and underrepresented music cultures featuring music educators collaborating with culture bearers.
Her research has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, and the International Journal of Community Music. Her book “World Music Pedagogy: Secondary School Innovations” is published through Routledge, and “First Steps in Global Music” through GIA.
Sessions offered at Midwinter Convention:
Realizing Diversity: An Equity Framework for ALL Music Educators: This session will focus on a new foundational framework that is meant to support music educators in creating more socially just music educations. Whether instrumental, vocal, digital, younger or older students, K-12/University/Community music experiences, this process can guide you toward meaningful incorporation of a set of music standards (with permission from the Southern Poverty Law Center – Learning for Justice) that support work in the domains of: Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action. This framework can be incorporated into any existing structure.
‘World’ Music Pedagogy for Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Classes and Ensembles: This session explores World Music Pedagogy (WMP) while acknowledging that ALL music – anytime, anywhere, by anyone – is of the ‘world’. WMP focuses on underrepresented and/or less familiar musics with a foundation steeped in deep listening that leads to performance. Examples for all disciplines/classes/ensembles/
Ethical Repertoire Research for Music Educators: This session walks participants through practical and manageable steps to responsibly research repertoire. Whether you view ‘repertoire as the curriculum’ or ‘curriculum directs repertoire selection’, there is an undeniable call to choose responsibly with consideration of sociocultural and socio-historical content. Examples will be provided that are applicable for all music educators regardless of discipline or age of students.